Sen Reid Expected to Push GOP on Rosenworcel Vote

A Senate source says look for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to use some of his time for opening remarks on the Senate floor April 21 to urge Republicans to back a full-Senate vote on the renomination of commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel to the Federal Communications Commission as soon as possible.

In an FCC oversight hearing in March, Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL), said it was past time for the Senate to confirm Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, suggesting it was a promised confirmation that has yet to be honored by the other side of the aisle. Ranking Member Nelson pointed out, and Minority Leader Reid is expected to echo, that at the end of the last Congress, Republican FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly was confirmed without waiting for a Democrat to pair him with in that process on the promise that Republicans would confirm Commissioner Rosenworcel quickly in the new Congress. Ranking Member Nelson says that Minority Leader Reid told him Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made the promise to then Commerce Chairman (and Commissioner Rosenworcel's former boss) Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) that her nomination would be moved without delay in the new Congress. Commissioner Rosenworcel's renomination was unanimously approved by the Commerce Committee late in 2015, but the full Senate has yet to vote.